January 12, 2007	Friday	Zilhaj 21, 1427

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MELBOURNE, Jan 11: With the Ashes Tests already consigned to history, Australia's cricketers have switched their attention back to one-day cricket and the defence of their World Cup title in the West Indies.

The start of the World Cup is still three months away but the road ahead could not be any busier with Australia, England and New Zealand about to play a hectic month-long triangular series.

Australia, the world champions, are overwhelming favourites to win the series and captain Ricky Ponting said he hopes to use the tournament – which begins on Friday with Australia taking on England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – to gain a psychological advantage over both opponents.

But middle-order batsman Mike Hussey, named last year as the world's best one-day player, said the Australians could not afford to take their opponents too lightly.

“England have got some fine cricketers, Australia have got some fine cricketers and I'm sure it's going to be a very tough series,” Hussey told reporters on Thursday.

“We've got a great rivalry with England, and New Zealand always perform very, very well against Australia.”

England skipper Michael Vaughan admitted his team faced a tough time winning the tournament after the beating they received in the Ashes but were hoping they could at least restore some of their confidence in time for the World Cup.

“We realise that playing the number one one-day team in the world in their own back yard is going to be pretty difficult,” he said.

“But there's no reason why we can't compete and try to beat them in a few of these games.

“It's going to be hard, but there's absolutely no reason why we can't compete and put them under pressure.

“We've got a minimum of eight games, we play New Zealand in four. We've got to win to get into the finals and try to get some momentum leading into the World Cup. It's a crucial three or four months for all the teams.”

New Zealand are also looking to regain some confidence after being bowled out for just 73 in their most recent one-day match against Sri Lanka this week with coach John Bracewell hopeful the collapse was a one-off.

“It's just a glitch that happened and the guys are determined to put that right,” Bracewell said.

Meanwhile, despite being ranked the best one-day batsman in the world, Hussey won't be pushed up the order.

The retirement of Damien Martyn left a hole in the middle order of Australia's one-day team, but Michael Clarke, rather than Hussey, will fill the role at No 4.

Hussey will remain at No 6 and although there is a line of thought that a batsman averaging 77 with a strike-rate of 94 in limited-overs internationals is wasted so low in the order, Ponting said that was where the West Australian was of most value.“We think that's a really well-balanced side then with Clarke at four, Andrew Symonds five, Hussey six, that sort of line-up,” Ponting said.

“Huss has been incredible really down the order in one-day cricket.

“He thinks he struggles hitting the ball through the infield early on and Michael Clarke shouldn't have too many problems doing that.”

Australia will be without fast bowler Brett Lee, who has bronchitis, against England.

Queensland speedster Mitchell Johnson will replace him after being a frustrated onlooker during the Ashes series, while Victorian Cameron White was preferred over veteran Brad Hogg as the spinning all-rounder after his man-of-the-match performance in Tuesday's Twenty20 game.

Ponting was effusive about White, who he sees as a key component of Australia's World Cup plans.

“We saw with his hitting the other night in the Twenty20 game he was pretty special and he's done that right through the year for Victoria,” Ponting said of White.

Ponting said he also expected veteran opener Matthew Hayden to excel after being recalled to the one-day team.

England opener Andrew Strauss said his team's poor one-day form recently, with just seven wins in their last 27 games, could actually work in its favour as it looks to sneak under the guard of the host nation and the Kiwis.

“We're going in there with a sense that we haven't got much to lose,” he said. “We can play the sort of cricket we know we are capable of and maybe surprise a few people.”

Strauss also said the return of captain Michael Vaughan was a major boost for England.

The Kiwis have arrived in Tasmania to prepare for their opening game of the series, against Australia on Sunday.

Spinner Daniel Vettori said his side was confident of doing well, having reached the finals of the triangular series at their last attempt in 2002, when Australia failed to qualify.

The tournament finishes in mid-February.The teams play each four times with the top two advancing to the best-of-three finals.

Schedule:

Jan 12: Australia v England (Melbourne, D/N).

Jan 14: Australia v New Zealand (Hobart).

Jan 16: England v New Zealand (Hobart).

Jan 19: Australia v England (Brisbane, D/N)

Jan 21: Australia v New Zealand (Sydney, D/N).

Jan 23: England v New Zealand (Adelaide, D/N).

Jan 26: Australia v England (Adelaide, D/N).

Jan 28: Australia v New Zealand (Perth, D/N).

Jan 30: England v New Zealand (Perth, D/N).

Feb 2: Australia v England (Sydney, D/N).

Feb 4: Australia v New Zealand (Melbourne, D/N).

Feb 6: England v New Zealand (Brisbane, D/N).

Feb 9: First one-day final (Melbourne, D/N).

Feb 11: Second one-day final (Sydney, D/N)

Feb 13: Third one-day final (if needed, Adelaide, D/N).—Agencies